Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to building materials and their method of manufacture, and more particularly to using flowing volcanic magma to make structures and material that is ordinarily made of wood, brick, stone, steel, concrete, glass and other materials, as well as to generate electricity.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the past, structures have been made of wood, brick, stone, concrete, steel glass, plastic and other materials. Electricity has been generated by the use of geothermal, sun, nuclear and fossil fuel heat sources. Flowing volcanic magma is not known to have been used to produce building materials or electricity.
The main disadvantage of the prior materials and heat sources is the high cost to produce the raw materials, the refining costs plus transportation to manufacturing site. Geothermal heat depletes, the sun doesn""t always shine, and nuclear plants have a special safety requirement cost.
Volcanic magma has been flowing almost continuously somewhere in the world from earliest times and will continue to do so for millennia to come. It is uncontrollable: nothing can stop it from erupting through the earth""s surface. It has been useless at best and terribly destructive to life and property at its worst.
Therefore, there is a need for a method to tap flowing volcanic magma at low cost and to utilize this natural resource to produce many things, including electricity. The present invention satisfies that need, as well as others.
In accordance with the present invention, flowing volcanic magma is directed into molds or machinery in the fluid state to produce barges, wharves, breakwaters, fences, sound barriers, road paving, pipe, floors, walls, roofs, building block, structural foam, batt insulation, insulating board and fiber strand reinforcement for plastics, as well as used as a heat source for the generation of electricity.
By way of example, and not of limitation, a building material is manufactured in accordance with the present invention by directing molten volcanic magma from an underwater volcanic magma vent to a level above sea level via a tube formed from the magma, directing the molten volcanic magma into a mold, cooling the magma in the mold to form a building material. In either case, the delivery tube is created by directing the flow of magma radially from a point of exit from said magma vent. This tube, which is formed of magma and can be perpendicular to the sea floor or extend at some other angle, can then be used to further direct the flow to the mold. Alternatively, the molten volcanic magma can be obtained from a magma vent on land, such as by tapping a lava tube or obtaining the volcanic magma from a lava pool or stream. The mold can be located on a floating barge, such as out in the sea, or be located on land such as in a magma casting facility configured for manufacturing the building materials. The molten volcanic magma can be poured into the mold and cooled at that point, or first compressed into the mold if desired. While the building material could be left in the mold and utilized, preferably the mold and building material are separated by, for example, stripping the mold away from the building material or otherwise removing the building material from the mold.
A main advantage of this invention is that many products can now be made with little or no material cost.
Another advantage of this invention is that magma is stronger and more resistant to chemical attack than concrete.
An important advantage of this invention is that it can be used to generate electricity at very low cost.